Bhaksha, Bhākṣa, Bhakṣā: 17 definitions
Introduction:
Bhaksha means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
The Sanskrit terms Bhākṣa and Bhakṣā can be transliterated into English as Bhaksa or Bhaksha, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).
In Hinduism
Purana and Itihasa (epic history)
Bhakṣa (भक्ष) refers to “eating”, according to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.27 (“Description of the fraudulent words of the Brahmacārin”).—Accordingly, as Śiva (in guise of a Brahmacārin) said to Pārvatī: “[...] I know Śiva through and through with all His weighty attributes. I shall tell you the truth. Listen with attention. [...] He holds the skull. Serpents twine round His limbs. Poison has left a mark on his neck. He eats even forbidden stuffs [i.e., abhakṣya-bhakṣa]. He has odd eyes and is definitely awful. His birth and pedigree cannot be traced. He is devoid of the enjoyment of a householder. He has ten arms. He is mostly naked and is ever accompanied by ghosts and goblins. [...]”.
Bhākṣa (भाक्ष).—A branch of Angiras.*
- * Vāyu-purāṇa 65. 107.
The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.
Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)
Bhakṣa (भक्ष) refers to “eating (alms)”, according to the 9th-century Sarvajñānottaratantra chapter 18.—Accordingly, “Next, I shall teach the best observance among observances, which is known as the Śiva-vrata and which is revered by Asuras and Gods alike. [...] He should dwell constantly in a temple of Śiva, eating alms (bhikṣā-bhakṣa), controlling his senses, devoted to recitation and meditation, maintaining silence, venerating Śiva, the fire and his guru. When a year has passed, he will become equal to Śiva. [...]”.
Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.
Jyotisha (astronomy and astrology)
Bhakṣa (भक्ष) refers to “eating” (or “subsisting on ...”), according to the Bṛhatsaṃhitā (chapter 16) (“On the planets—graha-bhaktiyoga”), an encyclopedic Sanskrit work written by Varāhamihira mainly focusing on the science of ancient Indian astronomy astronomy (Jyotiṣa).—Accordingly, “Rāhu presides over hill men, mountain peaks, outer and inner caves, the Mlecchas, the Śūdras, persons subsisting on dogs and jackals (gomāyu-bhakṣa), spear men, the countries of Vokkaṇa and Aśvamukha and persons physically deformed. [...]”.
Jyotisha (ज्योतिष, jyotiṣa or jyotish) refers to ‘astronomy’ or “Vedic astrology” and represents the fifth of the six Vedangas (additional sciences to be studied along with the Vedas). Jyotisha concerns itself with the study and prediction of the movements of celestial bodies, in order to calculate the auspicious time for rituals and ceremonies.
In Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (Vajrayana or tantric Buddhism)
Bhakṣā (भक्षा) is the name of a Ḍākinī who, together with the Vīra (hero) named Bhakṣacinta forms one of the 36 pairs situated in the Vākcakra, according to the 10th century Ḍākārṇava chapter 15. Accordingly, the vākcakra refers to one of the three divisions of the nirmāṇa-puṭa (emanation layer’), situated in the Herukamaṇḍala. The 36 pairs of Ḍākinīs [viz., Bhakṣā] and Vīras are reddish madder in color; they each have one face and four arms; they hold a skull bowl, a skull staff, a small drum, and a knife.
Tibetan Buddhism includes schools such as Nyingma, Kadampa, Kagyu and Gelug. Their primary canon of literature is divided in two broad categories: The Kangyur, which consists of Buddha’s words, and the Tengyur, which includes commentaries from various sources. Esotericism and tantra techniques (vajrayāna) are collected indepently.
Languages of India and abroad
Marathi-English dictionary
bhakṣa (भक्ष).—m (bhakṣya S) Food: also an article of food, an eatable. 2 The food or prey of; the aliment or pabulum of.
bhakṣa (भक्ष).—n Food. An eatable.
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Bhakṣa (भक्ष).—
1) Eating.
2) Food, eatables; ममेप्सितः । भक्षः (mamepsitaḥ | bhakṣaḥ) (tvaṃ) प्रीणय मे देहं चिरमाहारवर्जितम् (prīṇaya me dehaṃ ciramāhāravarjitam) Rām.5.58.4;7.69.15; यद्ययं क्रियते भक्षस्तर्हि मां खाद पूर्वतः (yadyayaṃ kriyate bhakṣastarhi māṃ khāda pūrvataḥ) Bhāgavata 9.9.33.
3) Drink, drinking (Ved.).
Derivable forms: bhakṣaḥ (भक्षः).
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Bhākṣa (भाक्ष).—a. (-kṣī f.) [भक्षा शीलमस्य अण् (bhakṣā śīlamasya aṇ)] Voracious, gluttonous.
Bhākṣa (भाक्ष).—f. (-kṣī) Gluttonous.
Bhakṣa (भक्ष).—[bhakṣ + a], I. m., f. ṣā, and n. ([Pañcatantra] rec. orn.), Eating food, [Pañcatantra] 53, 23. Ii. latter part of comp. adj. Devouring, [Mānavadharmaśāstra] 9, 314 v. r.
Bhakṣa (भक्ष).—[masculine] enjoyment, eating or drinking, food or drink; adj. feeding or living on (—°).
1) Bhakṣa (भक्ष):—[from bhakṣ] m. drinking or eating, drink or (in later language) food, [Ṛg-veda] etc. etc. (often ifc., with f(ā). , having anything for food or beverage, eating, drinking, living upon)
2) Bhākṣa (भाक्ष):—mf(ī)n. (√bhakṣ) habitually eating, gluttonous (= bhakṣā śīlam asya) [gana] chattrādi.
Bhakṣa (भक्ष):—
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Bhākṣa (भाक्ष):—adj. = bhakṣā śīlamasya gaṇa chattrādi zu [Pāṇini’s acht Bücher 4, 4, 62.] wohl der beständig isst.
Bhakṣa (भक्ष):—m. —
1) Genuss , das Trinken , Essen. —
2) Trank , Speise (in jüngeren Büchern). n. wohl nur fehlerhaft. Am Ende eines adj. Comp. (f. ā) das und das zum Tranke oder zur Speise habend , — geniessend , sich nährend — , lebend von.
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Bhākṣa (भाक्ष):—Adj. wohl der beständig isst.
Bhakṣa (भक्ष) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Bhakkha.
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Kannada-English dictionary
Bhakṣa (ಭಕ್ಷ):—[noun] anything that is fit to be eaten (as food); an eatable or food.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+13): Bhakshabhojya, Bhakshabija, Bhakshacchandas, Bhakshacinta, Bhakshajapa, Bhakshak, Bhakshaka, Bhakshakara, Bhakshakari, Bhakshaki, Bhakshalaka, Bhakshali, Bhakshamana, Bhakshamantra, Bhakshamkara, Bhakshamkrita, Bhakshan, Bhakshana, Bhakshanamantra, Bhakshanasadhana.
Full-text (+150): Sarvabhaksha, Vayubhaksha, Gajabhaksha, Ajabhaksha, Abbhaksha, Asthibhaksha, Sambhaksha, Kamabhaksha, Bhakshakara, Lalabhaksha, Mamsabhaksha, Durbhaksha, Bhakshamkrita, Gardabhaksha, Bhakshamkara, Abhaksha, Kanabhaksha, Kalabhaksha, Pranabhaksha, Krimibhaksha.
Relevant text
Search found 22 books and stories containing Bhaksha, Bhākṣa, Bhaksa, Bhakṣa, Bhakṣā; (plurals include: Bhakshas, Bhākṣas, Bhaksas, Bhakṣas, Bhakṣās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Rig Veda (translation and commentary) (by H. H. Wilson)
Ritual drink in the Iranian and Indian traditions (by Nawaz R. Guard)
5. Ritual Drinks of squeezed extract of specific Trees < [Chapter 3 - Ritual Drinks in the Vedic sacrificial ceremonies]
A Descriptive Catalogue of the Sanskrit Manuscripts, Madras (by M. Seshagiri Sastri)
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Notices of Sanskrit Manuscripts (by Rajendralala Mitra)